People line up to turn in guns to cops for grocery's

"Organizers collected a total of 163 guns that will soon be melted down and used for scrap metal."

By Debbi Baker , UNION-TRIBUNE Originally published December 20, 2010 at 1:33 p.m., updated December 20, 2010 at 4:26 p.m

SAN DIEGO — It took San Diego police officers only three hours on Monday to give away all of the $9,000 worth of grocery store gift cards they had to hand out in exchange for people turning in unwanted guns.
“We had a huge turnout,” Sgt. Kurt Grube said.

It was the third year that the United African-American Ministerial Action Council of San Diego has sponsored the event aimed at curbing gun violence.

In exchange for the unloaded guns, which had to be in working condition, owners were given one $100 grocery card for handguns or rifles and $200 for assault rifles.

The gun exchange went from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and when it started a long line of cars already snaked around the block outside the ministerial council’s headquarters in Chollas View.

In the first hour, police officers collected more than 30 weapons, including an Uzi submachine gun, an AR-15 and a homemade rifle, Capt. Tony McElroy said.

By the time the officers ran out of gift cards, 142 weapons had been collected, Grube said. A total of 163 guns were collected in the five-hour period.

Some people turned in more than one gun and others declined to take a gift card, he said.

Even after the cards were gone, people continued to turn in weapons, Grube said.

Pat Whitfield, 59, of City Heights traveled an hour to turn in an old rifle that used to belong to her dad. The in-home caregiver took a bus, then walked and got lost, and eventually took a cab to the council’s building on Market Street.

“I just wanted to get rid of it,” Whitfield said.

Erik Sjoberg, a married 22-year-old from National City, said he made the trek to turn in a sniper rifle. Sjoberg, a mechanic and car painter who has been out of work for two months, said he wanted the gift card to buy groceries.

The event started in December 2008 after Monique Palmer, 17, and Michael Taylor, 15, were fatally shot on a Valencia Park street corner by suspected gang members, said Pastor Gerald Brown, who coordinates the exchange.
The deaths of the high school students sparked outrage throughout the community and resulted in a vow to try to end the violence, Brown said.
The first exchange occurred just weeks after the students’ deaths, and another was held last December. In the first two years, 343 guns and one grenade were handed over, and $10,000 to $15,000 in gift cards were handed out, Brown said. The money comes from private and public donations, he said.

“We are changing a mind-set and empowering community members to do something good,” Brown said.

Police check all of the guns collected against a stolen weapons database. So far, none has shown up as stolen.

“We’re not trying to diminish anyone’s constitutional right to bear arms,” McElroy said. “But if we can prevent one weapon from getting into the hands of someone who will use it in some type of crime, then we’ve done a good thing. We’re trying to save lives.”
All of the weapons will be destroyed.

what the people who sponsor these events don't know, as well as those who turn in their guns is, they are being disarmed... one day, they will need that weapon to fight the guy in the uniform who shows up at their door- not the brotha in the hood trying to rob him/her for crack money...

this position is noted in the 'communist rules for revolution'

1. Corrupt the young; get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial; destroy their ruggedness.

2. By specious argument cause the breakdown of old moral virtues; honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness.

3. Encourage civil disorders and foster a lenient and soft attitude on the part of government toward such disorders.

4. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance.

5. Get people's minds off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books, plays, and other trivialities.

6. Get control of all means of publicity.

7. Destroy the people's faith in their natural leaders by holding the latter up to contempt, ridicule and obloquy (disgrace).

8. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with a view to confiscation and leaving the population helpless.

what the people who sponsor these events don't know, as well as those who turn in their guns is, they are being disarmed... one day, they will need that weapon to fight the guy in the uniform who shows up at their door- not the brotha in the hood trying to rob him/her for crack money...

this position is noted in the 'communist rules for revolution'

1. Corrupt the young; get them away from religion. Get them interested in sex. Make them superficial; destroy their ruggedness.

2. By specious argument cause the breakdown of old moral virtues; honesty, sobriety, continence, faith in the pledged word, ruggedness.

3. Encourage civil disorders and foster a lenient and soft attitude on the part of government toward such disorders.

4. Divide the people into hostile groups by constantly harping on controversial matters of no importance.

5. Get people's minds off their government by focusing their attention on athletics, sexy books, plays, and other trivialities.

6. Get control of all means of publicity.

7. Destroy the people's faith in their natural leaders by holding the latter up to contempt, ridicule and obloquy (disgrace).

8. Cause the registration of all firearms on some pretext, with a view to confiscation and leaving the population helpless.

peace be upon you

All that you say is perfectly ok with me, those 8 things you mention are a problem for any community. But what on earth has this have to do with 'communist rules for revolution'?? i see nothin related to communism but a couple of details. Im not defending communism here or whatever, but you are completely confuse on whqt communism is. You are just describing some of the problems of American/European society

All that you say is perfectly ok with me, those 8 things you mention are a problem for any community. But what on earth has this have to do with 'communist rules for revolution'?? i see nothin related to communism but a couple of details. Im not defending communism here or whatever, but you are completely confuse on whqt communism is. You are just describing some of the problems of American/European society

i did not write the 'communist rules for revolution'... this is not my opinion- i am simply pointing out that those who postulate communism as a political and economic alternative to any other system, see disarming the population as a plank in the platform to which they subscribe.

i suppose the connection i am attempting to make is this: the campaign to disarm our people is well under way and it is not a coincidence that their ability to put food on the table has been diminished and exploited to motivate hungry bellies to give up the only protection they have...

i would also point out that communism is 'collectivism'... something we all shall be hearing more about- more sooner than later if you have not heard about it already.

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